Tales from the Afro
by keyblademaster72
Summary: One-shots - you can never have just one. What will I pull out of the afro today?
1. School Days

One-shots.  
Some are funny, some are serious. Some short, some long.  
The theme of each chapter is reflected in its title (I do take requests, as well).  
K+ rating - I'll warn you if otherwise.  
Relationships a-plenty.  
Let the games begin!

* * *

"4) What should you do if stung by a venomous space cubozoa, and what is the best way to kill one?"

The young Keronian tapped the end of his pencil against his desk and gazed out the window, wishing he was one of those lucky ones out there whizzing around on saucers rather than being stuck in school taking a boring test. Just last week he'd gotten his very first saucer as a birthday present, and he spent almost every moment he wasn't at the academy with it. The first night, he'd even slept with it. To take him away from his beloved saucer for something as menial as an exam was, in his eyes, nothing short of inhumane.

Sighing, he drew his eyes back down to the question. Having not studied, he hadn't the faintest idea what a space-cuba-thingy even was, much less how to kill one or cure its sting. The way he saw it, he was destined to be a man of action – academics simply weren't his forte, so why force it? Nonetheless, his pencil was tapping more anxiously than before. Casting a glance at the clock, he noticed that there was only five minutes left of class. He'd have to write something, and fast.

He turned to the student on his left. His friend, a young red Keronian with a skull insignia and a serious demeanor, had just finished scribbling in an answer and jammed the end of his pencil in his mouth as he contemplated the next. Keroro watched him from the corner of his vision for a few seconds, then casually leaned to the left as he strained to get a look at his friend's answer sheet.

"Keroro," Giroro muttered without looking up, "if you look at my answer sheet, I'll tell the teacher. Then your dad will take away your new saucer."

Something seemed to shatter inside of Keroro, causing him to totter off balance and crash to the floor. A few students turned and snickered at their classmate as he struggled to his feet, drawing the attention of the teacher.

"Are we having a problem, Keroro?"

Thoroughly abashed, the disgraced Keroro slid into his seat and hunched down. "No, Mrs. Turara."

He looked back up at the clock: three more minutes. There was only one solution now – the one he should have done all along. Leaning as far to the right as he could without attracting the teacher's notice, he whispered to the student on his other side, "Oy, Zeroro! Let me see your answers!"

His friend's large, blue eyes widened as if scandalized. "K-Keroro-kun! You want me to… let you cheat?!"

"Shh!," hissed Keroro, casting a nervous glance toward the front of the classroom. Fortunately, the teacher had her back turned and didn't seem to hear. "I just need to… to check my spelling on a few things! I'll give it back in a minute, promise!"

Zeroro's eyes watered, torn between loyalty to his best friend and his own personal sense of honor. Keroro, however, could not wait any longer and snatched the paper off his friend's desk, feverishly scribbling in answers as the clock ticked relentlessly onward.

"K-Keroro-kun…!" Zeroro whined, grabbing at his arm urgently.

The bell rang, just as Keroro finished writing in the last answer. "Phew! Here you go, Zeroro," he said, handing the sheet he had just filled out to his friend. "Don't worry, you won't get… caught…"

He froze as he saw a large shadow standing over him. Whatever a venomous space cuba-thingy was, it couldn't possibly have been as frightening as Mrs. Turara was at that moment; placing her hands on her hips, she leaned over and glared ominously at them over the rim of her thick glasses.

"Keroro," she said, "you should know better than to help your friends cheat." Keroro blinked in surprise as she turned to poor, timid Zeroro. "And you, young Zeroro – I'm very disappointed in you. I had no idea that all of your good grades so far have been because of things like this."

Tears began to run down Zeroro's face. "But… but…"

The teacher shook her head. "No buts. You were caught in the act. From now on, you'll be attending mandatory tutoring sessions every afternoon. And, of course, I'll be telling your father about this."

Once again, Keroro's misdeeds had made a scapegoat of his unfortunate friend. He felt a pang of guilt as he exited the classroom, leaving behind the sound of Zeroro's voice as he pitifully wailed, "Keroro-kuuuun..." However, his remorse was short-lived, for he soon distracted himself with thoughts of the shiny new saucer that awaited him upon his return home. Soon, he would be flying unhindered through the open air...

He never saw the unfortunately placed banana peel lying before him. In an instant, he really was flying through the air, only to slam to the floor seconds later, landing flat on his rump with a gloriously painful-sounding crash.

"Ow ow ow ow!"

From a nearby corner, Giroro watched as Keroro rose stiffly to his feet, all the while swearing and massaging his aching backside. Turning, he smiled to himself and tossed the rest of the banana into the trash on his way out of the building.

He hadn't really wanted to eat it, after all.


	2. A Special Gift

**Title**: Giroro, A Very Special Gift... de arimasu!  
**Rating**: K  
(If you have cats, you know how this works. :P)

* * *

Hind paws… check.

Front paws… check.

Sides… check.

Shoulders… check.

Hm… something was still missing… oh! That's what it was!

Koneko busily set about grooming the very tip of her tail, anxious to finish her morning bath so she could get about with her morning patrol. Yesterday she'd scared away a potential invader – a busy-bodied beetle making a beeline for the side window – and she was eager to get over to that same spot and make sure he hadn't come back for more.

"Maybe this year…"

The sound of a familiar voice caused her to look up from her bathing, a thrill of joy filling her feline heart. Her master was awake! She purred as she hastened to finish her task, thinking of how happy he would surely be to see her this morning. For, as everyone knows, the entire world revolves around cats, for one cannot truly be happy unless there is a cat around!

These were the feelings in which Koneko indulged as she circled his legs and butted against him affectionately. Looking up, she barked his attention ("Mrow! – Here I am!") and was rewarded with a look and a smile.

"Nevermind, Koneko. I was just talking to myself."

How curious! To be standing around talking to himself when he should be sitting in front of a fire, petting her, while making breakfast! She barked once more and bounded over to the fire pit, rubbing her face against the concrete block upon which he normally sat, but to her dismay he simply didn't get the message. Flicking her tail is frustration, she set about grooming her front paw (for the second time that day) with exaggerated vehemence. That will show him – see how much she cares!

"You're lucky to be a cat… never worrying about pointless things like Valentines and other such nonsense." She perked her ears at Master's words. Val-en-tine? Was that a kind of food? Her previous indignation forgotten, she padded over to him and looked up with big, irresistible kitty eyes. She mewed this time, a high-pitched "meeoo," and was pleased when he finally got something right.

"Valentines," he explained with apparent difficulty, "it's a day of the year when… when girls – Pokopenian girls – give… they give gifts to… to the person they… _l-love_." Oh, was that all? Po-ko-pen days did not concern her; in her mind, they shouldn't concern Master either. Yet, he did not respond when she continued to motion for attention. What about this Val-en-tine could be bothering him so much that he did not want to spend time making _her_ happy? Could it be… hm…

Oh! Perhaps he wanted to receive one of these Val-en-tine gifts from a Po-ko-pen girl? It didn't seem to make much sense to her, but it was worth a try!

There were problems though. First of all, she wasn't a Po-ko-pen. That, however, could be easily solved – all she had to do was use that funny-shaped gun again! The second problem was what kind of gift to get. Hm… what to get Master… what to get to show her utmost love and affection… what to get…

* * *

Later that day, Giroro sighed, having still not received any chocolates from…

_Natsumi_, said a voice in his head.

"Anyone," he hastily corrected aloud. No one was convinced, at least no one that had heard. Which was limited to him.

He was suddenly startled by a presence at his back. Turning, he berated himself at having been distracted enough that a Pokopenian could sneak up on him… wait, who was this person? She looked vaguely familiar, although he was certain he'd never seen her in his life. She blushed and extended her arms. "Please accept this Val-en-tine!"

She then dropped the gift at his feet and bounded off, leaving the bewildered Giroro alone in front of his tent. After several long minutes he gave up trying to sort out what had just happened and remembered the gift. He reached down to take it, but upon seeing what it was he drew back in shock, then wordlessly stood and staggered into the sanctuary of his tent. This was... no. Just, no.

Meanwhile, back in the bushes, Koneko purred happily as she transformed back to her normal self. Master must be so happy with his gift right now!

After all, it'd taken her the better part of the day to catch that bird, and she'd left the best parts for him.


End file.
